01 Sep Passive spaces

In recent years, I have cleared thousands of homes, ranging from the grandest royal estates to the smallest, most neglected cottages you could imagine. Stepping into a house to clear it is like stepping into someone’s life, because the space in which a person lives or works reflects the inner state of the individual using it. It is a literal conclusion of current quantum physics that the reality in which you live is dictated and created by who you are right now, or more precisely, who you think you are…

People and spaces share a symbiotic relationship. On the one hand, as an individual, you are influenced by what has happened within a space, while, on the other hand, you influence the space through who you are, what you think, say, and how you live with yourself and others.

The majority of spaces I have encountered while clearing are passive in their energy. This means that there is insufficient Chi, or life force, in movement to bring the residents and the place itself into flow or to maintain it. Flow is a natural, harmonious principle in which energy arranges itself to facilitate optimal movement, occurring effortlessly, at the right moment, and with an outcome that benefits everyone and everything.

Passivity in energy arises when you experience situations in spaces and, by definition, perceive them as personal, immediately seeking to resolve them. In my previous blogs, I have explained how these two qualities of the mind create tension both within and around you. This tension is not only felt within yourself as stress but is also projected onto the spaces you inhabit.

What is interesting is that a space is not burdened because of something that has happened, but by how people respond to the event at the moment it occurs. Conversely, one could argue that when two individuals have a heated argument in a room but do not take it personally and are able to fully let it be, no residual tension from the event will remain in that space.

What people leave behind in spaces is life itself: fear, pain, sadness, illness, conflict, death, suicide, you name it. Everything that happens behind a closed door can later be found as energetic information at that location. In most spaces, there is a cumulative buildup of historical tension. Each new resident inherits not only a house and a set of keys but also the energetic legacy of everything that has occurred before. As a result, many people make a false start in their new homes. They literally encounter the unresolved issues of previous inhabitants in the spaces they use. For example, if the previous residents lived in fear, that fear may still linger in the form of energetic tension. The new occupants may pick up this fear energetically but, unaware of its origin, mistake it as their own. The feeling of fear is then taken personally (I am afraid), and the next step becomes trying to rid themselves of that fear. I have often seen people develop physical symptoms in response to feelings that are not related to their own lives but which continue to linger in the space.

One particularly striking example occurred when I cleared a house for a mother and her two young children. They had moved into the house a few months prior to my visit. As I walked through the house, I had a strong impression that someone had previously lived there with suicidal thoughts. This was especially noticeable in the girl’s bedroom. After clearing the space, I went downstairs and shared my observations with the mother. I saw the realisation dawn in her eyes. She told me that her 7-year-old daughter had often expressed unhappiness since moving into the house and had mentioned that she no longer wanted to live. The parents had taken the girl to both a psychologist and a psychiatrist, but there was nothing in her life that could explain these suicidal thoughts. I explained to the mother that it was highly likely the girl had unknowingly picked up the suicidal thoughts of the previous inhabitants and had confused them with her own feelings. It is very possible that if the house had not been cleared, and the girl had been exposed to this old energy for a prolonged period, she too might have developed suicidal tendencies.

In many homes, the emotional history of the space is a mixture of tension from both previous and current residents. The environment also plays a role. For example, if there is a prison or psychiatric hospital nearby, it can influence the amount of Chi entering the house. The land’s history also contributes, whether it be ancient battlefields, sacrificial sites, or ritual places. Objects can also hold energy. This can include art, antiques, heirlooms, or ritual items such as statues and masks, which can become imbued with energy, either consciously or unconsciously. This stored energy is then spread through the space via the object.

All these potential disturbances of a human emotional nature are referred to as metaphysical disturbances. The effect on the space is that it drains the energy from the environment. The accumulated tension in the space does not dissipate on its own but seeks to entrench itself by consuming the good energy of the space. This leads to a chronic shortage of flow in spaces where the residents are affected. Initially, those living in passive spaces may notice a sense of stagnation, sluggishness, or resistance, where everything feels difficult, and it takes a great deal of effort to start or maintain momentum. Over time, I often observe that such environments give rise to various issues related to health, relationships, work, communication, and finances. These are all signs of energetic stagnation or a lack of flow.

The dilemma of living in a passive environment is that, on the one hand, you become depleted by it. Literally, the house drains your energy as soon as you step through the front door, and the good energy you bring with you evaporates into the space. You gain no return on the energy you bring into the house. Many people recognise this feeling: they feel vital and inspired when outside, but once back in the house, they feel passive and depleted. The other side of the dilemma is that there is not enough energy around you to help you rest and recharge. It is the story of the proverbial battery that runs out of charge but cannot recharge sufficiently. In such a situation, the only option for the residents is to live by willpower. This can take them a long way, but as nature shows, only humans continue to swim against the current rather than return to flow. Those who do so for long periods will inevitably burn out physically, emotionally, or mentally.

Typical symptoms of passive environments include:

•  Feeling passive, lethargic, and uninspired in the home.

•  Needing a lot of sleep and never feeling fully rested.

•  Feeling apathetic within the home or wanting to escape it.

•  Struggling to keep the house organised or clean.

•  Rooms feeling cold and dark.

•  Chronic health issues, learning difficulties in children, and difficult communication between residents.

If you recognise one or more of the above symptoms, there is a strong chance that the energy of your home or workplace is too passive. My experience shows that when houses have not been cleared previously, there is almost always residual energy from the past that prevents you from living in optimal flow.

Before you enter your home next time, take a moment on the doorstep to observe how you feel. Create a baseline, a reference point for your perception, by noting how your body feels, what thoughts are present, and which emotions are at play. Then step into the house and see if you can perceive any changes in your experience. Your body is the most brilliant biofeedback instrument available to clarify what is happening in and around you. I often use this exercise with residents when I clear their homes, and they are almost always surprised by what they feel in their own homes, even if they have lived there for 30 years. They may have walked or sat in the same spot a thousand times, but until they consciously feel it, they don’t realise how they respond to their living environment. This simple exercise may surprise you or confirm your feeling that there may be something energetically amiss in your home.